There was anticipation and nerves in the air as a new cultural and creative courtyard in Carlisle prepared for its VIP launch ahead of the opening weekend.
Tribe Carlisle at Bitts Park will officially open to members of the public today after a sell-out launch event party on Friday.
The courtyard, which is made from shipping containers, aims to showcase a range of local companies and fuse “concepts of the modern street market and independent retail”.
Whilst also offering people in the city a chance to try array of street food and craft beers, the courtyard acts as an incubator for people to try out their business ideas in a controlled space before hopefully moving on to the high street.
Like many Covid-19-era start-ups, Sissy That Print at Tribe Carlisle was born from a lockdown hobby that turned into a business idea.
Sissy That Print founder, Emma Royle, started creating digital drawings over lockdown to entertain herself before selling them on.
"Tribe came along and I just thought I’d take a chance," said Emma, 22.
"I’ve not got the money to spend on starting up a business, so it’s perfect for me. There are people around me who know what they’re doing and have been there to give advice from their own experiences. It’s been really helpful."
Ice Cream vendor, the Pokey Parlour, had queues of people at Bitts Park during the day who were eager to treat their pooches to dog-friendly ice cream and 'puppachinos'.
Although already experienced in business, David Little of the Pokey Parlour said the development provided a good opportunity and support network for those who were starting out for the first time.
He said: "There are a couple of people here who have never been in business and they’re certainly not going to go on to the high street and hire themselves into a four or five year lease with the risk of it not working out in 6 months and being left in debt for the rest of their lives. At least here, it’s a stepping stone for them."
Guests were treated to a selection of drinks, which were being served by Tribe bar staff Aaron and Tyla, and upbeat music to complement an upbeat mood.
However, it was the hot food that seemed to catch peoples' attention the most, especially Bella's Tacos and Beirut Bites.
Andrei Tuiu used to be a manager in retail before deciding to re-ignite his passion for lebanese cooking.
He said: "When I heard about this place, I thought that I would make it my first venture.
"All the spices that I use here are being brought in from Lebanon.
"We all know that Lebanese fod is one of the healthiest, and it's good for people to discover new dishes.
"I have always liked something about Lebanese food, and now it's up to the people of Carlisle to decide what they think of it."
Bella Cooper of Bella Tacos called the opportunity provided by Tribe "vital".
She said: "I wanted to have the chance to start up. It's been on my mind for a good couple of years.
"Some of the people that we have here are very business orientated and it's nice to have that support."
Bella's serves vegan, veggy and meat taco's 'with a Cumbrian twist'.
Director of Tribe, Joe Gardham, who was there to see the VIP launch of Tribe Carlisle said another big emphasis of the development was to help the tenants give back to the community.
As part of the operating model, all tenants will be required to reinvest back into local disadvantaged communities. This could be donating a share of profits, sharing time and expertise, or creating job opportunities.
"What I want to do is find out what makes [the tenants] tick and what gaps in society they are passionate about tackling," said Joe.
On why he chose Carlisle for the development, Joe, who is from York, said: “I fell in love with the city. It’s got everything that York has in terms of heritage, and even the infrastructure of the city is similar.
"From my own my own experience of York, we grew up looking enviously at bigger cities like Leeds, Newcastle and Manchester and wished that we had what they had – the opportunity and the vibe; the jobs, shops and bars.
“We looked enviously down the motorways to those cities, and I feel that in Carlisle there are some similarities there."
On the tenants, Joe added: "I want these guys to be on the high street. I want them to be making all their mistakes here and learning their lessons here without them losing their livelihoods, or losing their houses.
“Once they’ve done that, they will outgrow us naturally and we’ll gently encourage them to start looking at premises on the high street.
“The high street is a bigger issue. There are so many barriers to people accessing it. For some tenants – especially start-up tenants – it’s a leap too far.
“We’re that incubator in between."
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